Energy conservation and consumption reduction in the aluminum electrolysis industry are not only critical supports for ensuring national energy security but also key areas for achieving the dual carbon goals. They are survival rules for enterprises to reduce production costs and enhance competitiveness. Against the backdrop of the era where the 14th Five-Year Plan places dual carbon goals at the core of ecological civilization construction and proposes clear requirements for the transformation of high-energy-consuming industries, Wuxi Research Institute of YUEFENG Aluminum has always taken "serving national strategies and leading industry development" as its mission. By deeply cultivating the forging of third-generation technologies, it has paved a path from "high consumption" to "high efficiency", and from "gray-black" to "emerald green" for the aluminum industry.
From 0 to 1: The First Generation Technology Breaks New Ground, Sounding the Prelude to Green Transformation
A groundbreaking technological breakthrough 27 years ago laid the groundwork for the green transformation of China's aluminum electrolysis industry. At that time, the "280 kA large-scale cell aluminum electrolysis technology" led by Wuxi Research Institute not only initiated a rapid development chapter for China's aluminum electrolysis industry but also took a crucial step towards the large-scale trend of aluminum electrolysis cells in China. Although initial energy consumption indicators had significantly decreased, "high energy consumption" remained an indelible label for the industry.
Researchers at Wuxi Institute, rooted in the front lines of national aluminum electrolysis large-scale experimental bases, continued to innovate in cell design concepts, developing a series of innovative achievements that formed the first generation FHEST1.0 new type of energy-saving electrolysis cell technology. After successful application, it was promoted on over 2,000 electrolysis cells, with an applied capacity of about 1 million tons, reducing direct current power consumption of aluminum liquid to below 12,500 kWh/t-Al, annually reducing CO2 emissions by 86,300 tons, and creating annual benefits exceeding RMB 200 million. Behind these jumping numbers lies not only the improvement of corporate benefits but also the first strong sound of green transformation in China's aluminum industry, laying a solid foundation for technical iteration during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
From 1 to 2: Second-Generation Technology Iteration, Activating Low-Carbon Momentum During the 14th Five-Year Plan
In 2020, President Xi Jinping made a solemn commitment to peak carbon emissions at the 75th United Nations General Assembly debate, outlining a grand blueprint for China's green and low-carbon development. The country's 14th Five-Year Plan further clarified the green transformation path for high-energy-consuming industries, proposing a goal through the "Special Action Plan for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in the Aluminum Electrolysis Industry" that "by the end of 2025, capacity meeting or exceeding benchmark energy efficiency levels should account for 30%". Accurately grasping the pulse of national strategy and guided by high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, Wuxi Research Institute, based on FHEST1.0 technology, integrated multiple new technologies for re-optimization and enhancement, successfully developing the FHEST2.0 complete technology suite, precisely aligning with the requirements for energy conservation and carbon reduction modifications during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
This technology has been promoted on more than 4,200 electrolysis cells nationwide, covering a capacity exceeding 4 million tons. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, this technology has cumulatively saved 6.05 billion kWh of electricity, reduced CO2 emissions by 3.5 million tons, providing core technological support for the aluminum industry to achieve energy-saving targets during the 14th Five-Year Plan. The journey from a "technology follower" to an "international peer" vividly interprets YUEFENG Aluminum's practice of fulfilling the mission of "national needs, YUEFENG Aluminum's capabilities".
From 2 to 3: Leading with Third-Generation Technology, Targeting International Frontiers
"11,800 kWh/t-Al direct current consumption - This is the benchmark for international advanced levels. We aim not just to catch up but to surpass!" With this call to action, Wuxi Research Institute sounded the trumpet for technological leadership.
Focusing on 500 kA large-scale cells, the research team moved their laboratory to the production site, undergoing hundreds of iterations from laboratory to industrial trials at every stage. Through relentless technological breakthroughs, 12 trial cells operated stably, passing mid-term project acceptance and achieving phased goals, marking a quiet transition from "energy-saving followers" to "technology leaders". This technology, along with the concurrently achieved "aluminum electrolysis flue gas waste heat power generation technology" by Wuxi Institute, forms a synergistic effect, embodying specific practices for enterprises implementing the "High-Quality Development Implementation Plan for the Aluminum Industry (2025-2027)" which promotes energy-saving and carbon reduction transformations and strengthens technological innovation.
Witnessing Strength with Honors, Writing New Chapters for the 15th Five-Year Plan
The FHEST series technology has cumulatively applied for 20 invention patents, won numerous awards including the First Prize of Science and Technology Award of Nonferrous Metals Industry in China, the First Prize of Annual Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Action Typical Cases by SASAC, National Top Ten Industrial Energy-Saving Technology by NDRC, Second Prize of Scientific and Technological Progress Award in Jiangsu Province, First Prize of Scientific and Technological Progress of YUEFENG Aluminum Group, etc., and has been selected into directories such as NDRC's "National Key Energy-Saving and Low-Carbon Technology Promotion Directory". It is recognized as a green benchmark in the industry.
As the 15th Five-Year Plan approaches, Wuxi Research Institute will continue to take technological innovation as its core, promote scientific and technological innovation in aluminum electrolysis technology, help more aluminum electrolysis enterprises to switch to "energy-saving chips", consolidate the advantages of green development in China's aluminum industry, and contribute more "YUEFENG Aluminum Solutions" and "YUEFENG Aluminum Wisdom" to the world's aluminum industry green, low-carbon sustainable development.
